Heavy Police Presence as Anti-Ebola Protests Erupt in Nanyuki

Further reports reaching our desks indicate that businesses are closed, with some parts of the town deserted in the wake of the second wave of the Ebola protests. 

Tensions remain high in Nanyuki on June 9 as residents continue demonstrating against the U.S.-proposed Ebola quarantine facility, expressing concerns over its planned establishment despite ongoing legal disputes.

Images obtained by Kenyans.co.ke show a heavy police presence deployed across parts of the town with water cannons to quell the protests.

The images also show demonstrators carrying placards and twigs protesting against the planned facilit.

As of the time of publishing, no sort of violence from either the protesters or the police has been reported.

The plans to build a U.S.-backed Ebola isolation facility at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, Kenya, ignited fierce public opposition after the national government approved a 50-bed quarantine unit in late May.

The facility, funded by approximately Ksh1.68 billion, roughly USD13 million in U.S. aid following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, was designed to isolate American citizens exposed to the virus while serving across Africa..

The first wave of the protests turned deadly on June 1 when residents, spotting U.S. military planes landing despite a court-ordered halt, took to the streets following a petition by Katiba Institute.

Police responded with tear gas, shooting two protesters dead and arresting 31 demonstrators.

The High Court subsequently ordered the government to release all confidential deal documents to the public, while the arrested protesters were freed on bail, vowing renewed demonstrations unless the project were permanently abandoned.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi released a travel advisory on June 8 to its citizens in Laikipia, urging them to take precautionary measures for their own safety.

Reports indicate that a demonstration is planned for June 9 in Nanyuki Town, Laikipia County. A significant police presence usually accompanies protests in Kenya,” stated the Embassy.

Adding, “Please note that there is always the potential for demonstrations on subsequent dates in Nanyuki Town or other urban areas in Kenya.”

The embassy further urged its citizens in the area to avoid protests and crowded gatherings, monitor local media closely, secure vehicles while in transit, inform contacts of their whereabouts, review personal security plans, and carry valid identification documents at all times in the event of anything.